Review Masani - Melbourne

A beautiful night in a beautiful restaurant, the service was outstanding thanks to Kara for making it such a personal experience, the food was honest rustic and delicious, the wine was another level especially the amazing (& very long) list to choose from which was brilliantly backed up with a world of knowledge & good advice from Kara yet again & the company wasn’t bad either. All in all it was a perfect night, what more can you ask for?

Honestly the best Italian food I have ever eaten. Great service and friendly staff. Have visited a couple of times now. Would definitely recommend if you enjoy Italian food and a warm atmosphere.

One of the best Italian restaurants in Melbourne for sure 🤌🏻 highly recommended, fresh and tasty.

An elegant gem of culinary expertise. A wine list that will knock your socks off. Brilliant service by talented professionals. Prawn entree was a highlight. Definitely recommend this place if Italian fine foods are your thing, and if they're not try it anyway because they'll change your mind. A great experience and I'll be returning soon for more.

Best pasta I’ve ever eaten. Such wonderful service! Highly recommend!

I had driven and walked pasted a few times and noticed the stunning alfresco setting. Then on a Sunday afternoon I ran into Richard the owner and he was lovely. With a tough few years due of Covid I knew I had to go and support my local. Richard was the ultimate host. The food was a breath of fresh air. The wine was on point and well paired with my meal. The zucchini flower starter was thoughtfully dressed. The ragu was al dente, the meat falling apart and all was well seasoned. Somehow Masani felt like home and I’m not Italian…..

An excellent meal: very generous portions, an ever changing menu, they very generously accommodated a special request for desert. Best of all, the service has an old world charm mixed with a homely touch. I always look forward to my next visit.

I’m really sorry guys but I didn’t like it and you didn’t ask me how I found it so here’s a review. The prices are exorbitant. Recently I added a $20 tip to an Italian meal elsewhere which gave so much more divine, innovative food for half the price. I should’ve seen the pricelist for everything before I agreed to the order, A small portion of tomato salad was delicious but $25, a basic Pinot Noir was $20, even the bread and butter was $14. I was really disappointed by the artichoke and mozzarella tart, they used a thin flavourless pastry casing and added some cold chunks of mozzarella and artichoke with no flavour and called that a “tart” for an expensive price. I also ordered a coffee but at least I saw the price of it (6.5) and it was a good coffee. I almost paid $100 for a quite plain meal with a lovely small tomato salad as the highlight of the meal. Sorry guys I thought it was a low effort, overpriced meal, but thank you for the delicious tomato salad but too expensive

Food:<br/> Very Good<br/><br/>Presentation: Good<br/><br/>Service:<br/> Good<br/><br/>Ambience:<br/> Excellent<br/><br/>Location:<br/> Excellent<br/><br/>Price:<br/> Good<br/><br/>Recommendation:<br/> Steak<br/><br/>Authentic Restaurant. No fuzz but good food

Came here for dinner. The menu is high end Italian with a leaning towards seafood. Service was both friendly and knowledgeable. Started with delicious white bread as well as dips. The steak was ok - I thought it could have been a bit more tender and flavoursome.

Wonderful food, absolutely fresh, imaginative and cooked with care; the in-house pasta is delightful, crustacea fresh and cooked perfectly, the pheasant with a hint of cumquat delightful.  Thoroughly recommended!

In my never-ending search for a dining experience that can transport the mind instantaneously, I was lucky enough to come across Masani.<br/><br/>As you approach Masani you are taken back in time over 100 years. Whether you notice the stunning window glazing of the former Carlton Club, the warm wood-log fire through the window, or if you have a keen eye for detail you may have also noticed the four Kangaroo-like sculptures on the facade of the historic building.<br/><br/>Just as the building exemplifies Carlton's rich history, after talking with Head Chef Richard Masani and enjoying his food you’ll find out that his cooking is inspired by classical and regional Italian dishes from his origins and personal history. This is soul food in its true form. Masani expresses the passion that he has for food, his culture and his family in every dish.<br/><br/>Masani’s is not only about the food. Richards daughter Kara, an award-winning sommelier, matches wines to Richards food like no other could. This combination of culinary expertise is what sets Masani’s apart from so many of the other Italian restaurants in Melbourne and is a must try destination for any food lovers journey.

Its so nice to see one of Melbourne's finest keeping up the standards we have been used to for over thirty years. Masani is what Carlton used to be with a touch of class. It can be a simple pasta dish or a more complex dish , all executed to perfection. This coupled with one Australia's most experienced sommelier will deliver an experience that is unforgettable.<br/>Save this dinning experience for special celbration or just a night out either will remain in your memory. It is without question a touch of class without a bank loan required.<br/>You cant expect this level quality and not expect to pay a little more, there are lots of $15-$28.00 options in Lygon street but that's what  you will get $15-$28 worth. The sommelier/waitress recommended a bottle Torres Celeste Tempranillo at $82.00 and I can tell you that's far better value than I have had in more well known establishments with far more expensive wines. The service excellent polite, perhaps a little over servicing but not intrusive.<br/>My only criticism is perhaps the servings could be a little more, that said my Fegato Antra  was excellent as was the Pork Otway. <br/>Thank you for a truly great and comfortable evening, my business associate was very impressed as well, I will be back soon.

Ripped Off and will never return.  Please check and ask for prices before dining at this restaurant!! The menu is very limited and does not really cater for vegetarians and non red meat lovers....  Many items will not have a prices instead show MP (market price)....<br/>Angry about so many things that occured with our dining experience at this restaurant....<br/>The waiter pounced on us as soon as we were seated, pushing us to order a drink and some shared plates.... Feeling somewhat pressured, we stupidly agreed to the entree serving of stuffed zucchini flowers (6 on a plate).  The zucchini flowers cost us $77 ($12.95 ea);  when questioned about the price, because we were convinced it was an error; we were told that they were expensive at the market. So angry they think that as consumers we are stupid!!!!<br/>They should advise diners of MP on the day rather than hiding their prices.<br/>A pasta special on the board $32. On the bill charged $48.  When questioned, advised we got a main serve.  Wasn't told this was an option.  A $32 scampi and avocado dish.....Scampi is plural, therefore expecting a few on the plate... Got one which had hardly any meat in it (size of half my thumb). They should state Scampo (meaning one) on the plate. Another plate missing mussels (they couldn't explain it).<br/>Huge bill at the end of the night and so unsatisfied...I understand that fine dining comes with a price tag, but this felt like such a rip off to me.  I hate to think that every time i go out, i am going to have to analyse the menu... how sad that we have establishments taking advantage of the consumer....

Another great meal at Masani. Terrific crostini, very fresh oysters, great seafood spaghetti and an excellent steak. Very good wine recommendations and all of this is a wonderful old school elegant (but not formal setting). Add to that some of the best service in Melbourne and this is what old school Carlton used to to be about. Yes, it is a bit expensive but if you want a relaxing meal where you can sit back, confident that the recommendations will be spot on and the food wonderful, this is the place.

This restaurant offers poor value for the price. On a Wednesday night the restaurant was empty and uncomfortably cold. The appetizers our table ate were adequate though overpriced, but the spaghettini with seafood was truly terrible (particularly at the cost of $45 a plate). The seafood was tough (either old, overcooked, or both), and the pasta was badly overcooked. One expects mushy pasta on an airplane or in a school cafeteria, but at a restaurant with great pretensions at Italian authenticity, mushy pasta is unacceptable.

It's nice, really. There's no way in hell you'll have a meal for two with alcohol for $120 though, unless it's just a main and a single glass each. The food is nice, but expensive for small portion sizes, and there's a very noticeable mark-up on wines. I guess that might be expected for a nice building in this location, but....perhaps if prices dropped there would be more than one or two tables full in the restaurant at a time, the atmosphere would improve, and it would feel a bit more like value for money. Also, the menu online bore no resemblance to the options we were given on the night, so if you need to pre-plan your meals, consider calling ahead to see what will actually be on offer.

Went for dinner here the other night and I was pretty impressed. The restaurant was not busy, but nonetheless, the service was great. Quite a few specials on the menu, including the kangaroo parpadelle, which was beautifully slow cooked and delicious. Masani has a good wine list that pairs with the food options well. While the cost per person might be slightly high, the quality of food is very good.

Expect to pay a lot for little. <br/>Quality first class but you dont get a lot of hang for you buck.<br/>Service was abysmal two tables in restaurant and we were served entrees before wine. yes we had pre dinner drinks but these were long finished before food arrived.<br/>Waiter was very nice but spent night on phone sitting down which have no problem with as long as service is maintained. Not good enough when you are charging top dollar

The food is good and the staff are friendly. The wine list is of special note, some very interesting options to choose from. I certainly recommend talking with the sommelier who is incredibly knowledgeable and will be able to point out some great wines.

After wandering around Lygon St for a half an hour trying to work out what we wanted for our wedding anniversary dinner we randomly settled on Masani and ended up having a very enjoyable evening.<br/><br/>While not budget level ($40-$45 for a main and $15-$20 for dessert) the quality of the food was excellent. I had the "signature" fish stew which was reminiscent of bouillabaisse, but actually much better than anything I had while living in Marseille - the flavours were much more subtle and fresh. The veal (according to the other half of the party) was a little on the salty side for her liking, but otherwise extremely tasty. The wine list was extensive, but as with the food was not on the cheap side. Unlike some of the other reviews on this site we found the service to be excellent - attentive but not overly so. We'd definitely chose to come back again.

Great family run business. Just a work function here. Staff were extremely accommodating and obliging. Food was exceptional and wine very good.

Another fantastic meal at this restaurant - we've been coming here 10 years and I can honesty say I've never had a bad course (let alone a meal!!)<br/>Today my wife and I had oysters and masala duck livers for an entree followed by the goat (for me) and barramundi for her. Sides of arugula,pear Parmesan salad and avocado/kumato .<br/>A couple of glasses of the mascarto and we can say it's all good.<br/>Love the place<br/>Love the food<br/>Love the people

Family run Italian. Been going here for 20yrs. Italian fine dining gem Biden from the rubbish of Lygon St. Richard is a great chef and his daughter runs the place with real professionalism. Has a long standing loyal clientele and if you want real fine dining Italian try this place. You will not be disappointed.

Late lunch on Mother's day for 4. Only booked less than week before so couldn't get into the usual favourites. Restaurant was barely a third full which should have sent alarm bells ringing. Hadn't visited for at least ten years and kicking myself I hadn't read the reviews. Arrived at 1:30pm and promptly ordered. We skipped entrees, but shared the crostini. At about 2:10 the waiter brought some bread to "keep you going whilst your mains were being prepared". At 3pm we questioned why our mains had not been served, whilst other tables that arrived well after us had already had their entrees served and cleared. We were abruptly told by the waiter that "the meals take time" as he walked off. Shortly afterwards 2 of our 4 meals arrived. The 3rd arrived about 5 minutes later and we continued to wait for the 4th. The waiter rudely told the three with meals to "start eating" and that "we are a fine dining restaurant and we will decide when the food will be served to you". Whilst clearly rude, the waiter also appeared quite odd and we thought perhaps he was intellectually challenged so we erred on being forgiving. However when I repeated the waiter's comments verbatim to the owner's daughter / sommelier she arrogantly ignored me which demonstrated that rudeness in ingrained in the restaurant. On a more humorous note, both the waiter and sommelier questioned whether we'd eaten there before, implying that we didn't understand fine dining, and not surprisingly they missed the point when I replied that I'd dined there whilst they were still in nappies. The food was good but out of its league given the quality and depth of fine Italian dining available in Melbourne at this price point. The room is devoid of the grandeur or charm required for an older restaurant and the resulting ambience is somewhat comatose.

A rip off eighties style. Just waiting for people to rip off. I'm not saying they do this but if you have a private function upstairs - make sure they are not refilling good (empty after you have consumed the contents) bottles of wine with cheap stuff (with the barperson using a funnel). Also, check the freshness of the crostoli in case it appears to have been reused. Further, never go in there thinking that you can impress someone by ordering a seafood platter and acting like you don't care how much it will cost - for you may be excessively overcharged for what is a small platter of seafood mixed with salad on a large platter. Also, don't comment on the quality of the coffees if they aren't to your satisfaction, as customer feedback doesn't always go down well in this established 1986 (looking somewhat older) restaurant.

A rip-off restaurant that should be closed down. We looked at the menu displayed on the window - a main course cost around $35. Went in and ordered the meals. Asked for extra vinegar to go with the bread and got it. When the bill came - they charged us $5 for the extra vinegar (where almost all other restaurants give you for free), and the main meal was $45+. We were not informed at any stage about the charges. And the food was salty, the pasta was overcooked with watery sauce. We wanted to report this restaurant to the Consumer Affairs Australia and hope that no one will come to this restaurant and it will be forced to shut down soon.

Great food. I have to disagree with many of the reviews here<br/>I had a great meal at this restaurant last night - food was excellent (fresh and succulent) and service not intrusive.<br/>My impression was that the food was well priced and I have booked to go back in May.

High quality but overpriced. $48 for marinara, $30+ for entrees. The 4% fee for credit cards felt like money grubbing.

Tonight family meal. The worst service we had in a long time,<br/>very disappointed, near go back

Patience is a virtue. My family decided to go out for Christmas lunch this year and chose Masani. Never again. Arrived at 1.00pm and was served the main course at 3.35. Dessert at 4.45. Food is ok but the service and wait is just appalling. It seems a consistent theme amongst reviews for this restaurant and clearly they are not interested in addressing the problem. Don't go here. They don't deserve the business.

Degrading and horrible. Christmas Day 2014. I took my Mum for a coffee just before lunch (against the advice of my boss, who had drawn my attention to the cost of coffee there). We ordered two coffees and sat outside. I burnt my mouth on the coffee (coffee isn't supposed to be that hot) and requested a glass of water. On bringing the water a new waitress removed the original bill for $13.00 and asked us to settle up and presented a bill for $18.00, with an added $5 charge called "cover charge". My mother went inside to question the addition to the bill and an older gentleman (staff member) was very polite and said he would investigate it. Then a waitress came up (the one who brought the new bill) and asked my mother to leave as she was serving Christmas lunch. At no time was my mother unpleasant (I saw the interaction from the table). She told me what happened and so I went back and asked why my Mother was asked to leave and why the tap water cost $5. The waitress told me I was trespassing and that she would call the police. I agreed she should call the police. When she dialled the number, her colleage took the receiver from her. She attempted to dial again, and again, her colleage took the receiver from her. She then said this could be followed up tomorrow and asked for my name and number. I hope that there will be a resolution. I am from Melbourne and have lived in many countries, and travelled through many more, and today was the worst hospitality experience I've ever encountered. My elderly mother, after the way she was spoken to, was left shaking. Horrible experience, especially at Christmas.

Contrary to other reviews, I liked it. My friend was down from Brissy and we both love great food and great wine and we had both at Masani. Our wait staff were friendly and helpful and definitely up for a laugh - we found them lovely. Yes it's on the pricey side but I was expecting fine cuisine for that price and wasn't disappointed. I consider the wait time for food acceptable but I'm lucky, I had great company. The reason I chose Masani was because I found them on the choose wisely website and glad I booked before checking Urban Spoon in this case! If you want something special, give them a go. They know their wine too :)

Bad service for high money. We had a very bad experience at Masani's restaurant last night. The service was so slow that several times we had to ask when the food would be served. I do not mind small serves but I had the pheasant in pastry. At first I thought that they had mixed up the order with the entree size. The pastry was thick with about a tablespoon of filling with a small amount of that being pheasant. It took 45 minutes from the time we asked for coffees for them to come and that was after we had made enquiries about it's whereabouts. To add insult to injury, we were charged an added 3% surcharge because we used a visa card. There is no way we would ever go back to this overpriced restaurant.

Minuscule servings and a crazy wait time. I'm quite accustomed to fine dining, and understand that portions may be on the small size, but when I finally received my ravioli (after waiting an hour and a half - I kid you not), I received TWO ravioli. And these were not oversized ravioli, but regular size. Yes, two. Literally two mouthfuls. And, yes, the final bill was very very scary.

Extremely Overpriced. Dined here last Friday 24th October 2015 with a group of friends. Had booking for 8 o'clock. You will require at least half an hour to secure a parking spot, if you can find one at all. Restaurant was very quiet with less than 20 people dining. Very overpriced. All their pastas only come in entrée size for approx. $28.50 and if you want a main course size the price is unknown. The entrées were tiny. Items on the specials board had no prices which was strange. My advice don't even think about it. There are plenty of other options in Carlton for an Italian experience at half the price.

Ideal for people with stomach bypass or band and big wallets. Expensive for what you get but that's their business model. They don't want ordinary dinners , they want big spenders . The positives are: Above quality food but definitely doesn't match value , great wine selection, knowledgably staff, especially the young tiny lady, she diffidently knew her vinos. Negatives are: meal sizes are too small. Prices are probably 15-30% higher than what they should be for what you get.Wait time to long and the little lady a bit to confident for my liking, and the reason why is that they wrote "TIP" and high lighted it in pen on may account when they presented the bill. We did Tip, but not nearly as much as I normally would have. I enjoy fine dining but this is certainly not that.

Not very smart resturant operation.. My wife and I enjoy fine dinning and we have plently of dining experience throughout Australia and abroad. I've read most of the reviews as we do when we try a new establishment. I'm about to give a true and honoust assesment of our dining experience but also about other reviewers. Firstly, if you go to a fine dining resturant, don't expect a budget meal and generous servings. This apears to be one of the main complaints from other patrons. Masani is a bespoke provider and wants to be rescognised for that. They are not about filling their resturant with dinners that want an ordinary cafe italian spaghetti, they are abour attracting discerning partrons with big wallets and small stomachs. Their food is above average but not high quality and sadly , just shy of adequate for serving size. Their wine list is extensive and I was impressed with the knowledge from kara whoattended to our table . The preperation was a bit protracted from time of ordering. They are probably a little cocky and that was evident when tbey presented the bill with "TIP" been writtern in pen and underlined. We did tip , around $12 rounding up the bil but I would have ben happy to tip $50 if the meal and experienced matched my expectations. So bottom line, its about a 6 out of 10. If you got lots of money its ok once and a while but theres lots of better options out there. If your on a budget, dont bother going there, they dont want you.

SO bad. It’s difficult to know where to begin really, but we went to Masani for a special family occasion. As we entered, the waitress asked if we would like the wine decanted and we accepted. Three of the four of us ordered pasta dishes and one ordered steak. An hour and a half later there was no sign of food and so we asked how long they might be. We were advised rather briskly that meals are made from scratch... given there were only 4 tables of people in the restaurant, it was surprising there would need to be such a long wait time and we noted that no one else appeared to have any food at all. <br/>Sometime later the meals arrived and it’s difficult to describe how absolutely minute they were... one of the pasta dishes was in fact so small, it looked just ridiculous in the middle of the large dish it came in. They claim the pasta was homemade but having made pasta myself for years, I know two things; homemade pasta should be silky and delicious and it is cheap to make. At $40 a pasta dish, there really was no excuse for the sad little profferings we received. My partner’s steak was over cooked and everyone was hungry.<br/>We decided against ordering desserts and coffee, given the letdown of the meal and asked for the bill. To our horror, the bill demonstrated a charge of $30 for decanting the wine, on TOP of corkage. So on top of the bite sized $40 pasta dishes, the overcooked steak and the hour and a half wait time for meals, the offer to decant our wine as we entered the restaurant cost us another $30 and this was never disclosed. Who would consider this value for money and who would imagine that pouring wine into a carafe could possibly cost $30, as it’s just not that challenging. <br/>When we took it up with the staff that the charges were ridiculous and the servings were minute and the wait time was ludicrous, especially at a time when the restaurant was almost empty, they were totally unapologetic and only interested in getting the bill paid and getting back to their other 3 tables.<br/>The night was an extreme letdown and an expensive one at that, that offered extremely bad value for money, obtuse service and hidden costs without value. <br/>There are so many lovely restaurants in Melbourne where decent and honest hospitality is offered by way of wanting to ensure guests are happy with their meals, offering decent portions and pleasant service. This was the extreme opposite of that and I would strongly recommend going elsewhere for an enjoyable evening and good, honest food. .

Masani's Restaurant. Not worth the money far to expansive, and I would not recommend to other people. :(

The manageress spoiled my dinner. I went there for dinner on 11th Oct. The manner of the manageress was very rude and impolite that spoiled our mood completely. Although the food was not bad, we definitely definitely definitely will not go there again !!!

Too many zero's on the bill. First of all the menu needs to be more specific & asking what a certain dish is, doesnt mean rereading whats on the menu. Secondly the constant attempts at up-selling are very annoying, so annoying we'd say yes to the waiter just to stop him from talking. <br/>Yes the food wasnt too bad, but definately not worth what your paying.<br/>Wouldnt go there again!<br/>Useful tip: double check the bill...what a joke!

Mr Carmelo Chiodo. Great Ambients, friendly staff, they have excellent wine knowledge, food is great quality and served excactly as requested.

Beware of no prices on the menu and small yet expensive servings! Will never dine there again.. Diners beware. This restaurant will leave a deep hole in your pocket. <br/>What could have been a wonderful dining experience turned into THE worst dining experiences of my life. <br/>There are no prices on the menu so you are guaranteed to receive the shock of your life when an exorbitant bill reaches your table. We asked for crostinis and soon received the most expensive entrees in the restaurant. They continuously poured wine (even when guests said no) without revealing the price tag. <br/>The overall bill was more than Melbourne's top restaurants without the quality to match. The servings are small- ravioli main looked more like an entree. Very disappointing experience. Carlton deserves better.

Carlton Deserves Better. The food, plainly, is mediocre — which I can live with. But what roused me to write this review — something that I do not normally do — is the shocking and arrogant service by the waiters/ managers afforded to the customers. I cannot stress how slow the service is and the response that was offered, on casual enquiry, was downright aggressive. <br/><br/>Tiamo and DOC are far more superior and enjoyable options. Do not support this place.

A wonderful experience. It was our first time at this wonderful family run restaurant. The service,the food were all fantastic. But the disturbing thing was that the restaurant was less than half full. Reason for this was the pricing. Every dish is between $5 and $10 to expensive. Could be a gold mine for the owner if he got his pricing right. But still give it 10/10 for everything else.

Masani is one of the best restaurants I've ever been to. The service was excellent, the waitstaff genuinely cared about your dining experience & the food was fantastic (especially the braised kid). The wine list was also great. Definitely going back next time we're in Melbourne. Would highly recommend!

Thoroughly enjoyable. First review, warrented by the simply fantastic experiencence I had at this restaurant tonight. Enjoyed the snapper special, cooked superbly (difficult for a less oily fish) paired with the piuatti pinot griggio. I've dined at some of the most touted Italian establishments in Melbourne and wider still (namely one with initials GF..) and this atops my list. Do yourself a favour by trying this spot. PP

Food at its finest. I have never written a review but after eating for years I was compelled. How do you define perfection? <br/>With a main size spaghetti con crostacei and a bottle of Bannockburn Pinot Noir. <br/>Enjoy!

Beautiful place. Family owned and operated with a fantastic menu and regually changing specials. Love it.

Enjoyable food and atmosphere, extensive wine list all be it a bit pricey. Find waitress/sommelier can be a little pushy with the up-sell at times. That said I look forward to returning for the food in the future. The chocolate soufflé is incredibly delicious.

Table for 8 on a Wednesday night. Staff were very friendly, attentive and professional. Food service slow but the meals themselves were excellent. I had the 400g rib eye steak, which was a generous 400g, perfectly cooked and seasoned. All 8 people happy with their meals. Would be a perfect score if the mains came out quicker.

Service too slow. Lovely ambience, open fire and with pleasant waiters but the service was dreadful. We waited 50 minutes for an entrée, then a further 40 minutes for our main meal. We were famished and two lots of bread brought to the table before our entrée. What were they trying to do? Fill us up with bread to make up for the very small portions. Not worth it.

Cyclists not welcome. If you are a cyclist I would advise giving this restuarant a wide berth as cyclists are not welcome. I was moved along as I tried to park temporarily in the rain in order to pop into Woollies - un-neighbourly, mean spirited and unnecessary. Two outside tables were not being used in the rain.

I've been to Masani's many times over the past two years and each time the food and service is exceptional! the majority of my visits have been upstairs in their conference room where the food and service is exceptional. Great Italian wines are served alongside delicious starters followed by perfectly cooked rump steak-a difficult task when cooking for a group of hungry doctors! The one time I ate down stairs was met with similarly high standards. being off the the increasingly tacky lygon st just increases its allure. A highly recommended night for all!

The best of nights. Found this incredible place on a cold Autumn night. As we walked in we were greeted by the warmth of the open fire places and the very professional team that it takes to run such a place. We were then seated in the main dining room and given the menu and wine list, and what a great wine list!! Not being able to decide on what to drink, we asked the head sommelier for advise and we’re recommended a great Nebbiolo. For dinner we decided on Fresh figs and prosciutto to start followed by the roast pheasant... Enough said!<br/>We’ll definitely be back as this kind of service is so hard to find in today’s busy world. 5 stars.

Miss W. van Paridon. We went after years back to Masani expecting Italian food!! I am living in Belgium and spend a lot of time in Italy know very well the art of Italian cuisine What a disaster Masani is !!! We had to wait one and half hour for the spaghettine crostacei and a gnocci ripieni for my brother ,when it arrived it was cold sending it back the gnocci were ways to solid arrived like a stone in your stommach the spaghettini was okay than after one hour the otway pork rib roast arrived ,the red cabage was half cooked and the black anges eye filet, on the same un cooked red cabage was perhaps 200 grams and un eatable the advocado and tomato salad is a shocker we did not eat it , the fried patato s we tasted one that was enough, we ended up to ask some aluminium folie and gave 90 % of our meat to the dog who was in the car .Dan the waiter was very helpfull and did his best . It is time they send their chef to an Italian cooking course or take a holliday to Italy and find out how to prepare Italian food After paying $.311 , we went out with a sour taste in our mouth and very unhappy . Do not order mineral water they charge you $ 15 . Why should a bottle of mineral water cost $ 15 ?? The wine is also over priced and even the cafe is not what you expect in an Italian?? restaurant Never never never again

I cycled here for dinner the other night and was promptly told not to lock my bike to the awning column...great greeting by staff, definitely not bicycle friendly and a little behind the times. Food was average, plenty of other places in Carlton with better food that are happy for you to cycle there.

Enjoyable and well-informed. I dined at Masani this weekend just past and really enjoyed it.<br/><br/>The level of service was excellent. Masani understands the importance of personal service tailored to what I wanted, which was great. I also liked the decor, a good mix of old world charm with a modern twist.<br/><br/>The side bread, albeit a little hard, was a good precursor to the main.<br/><br/>The food was well cooked and was served with a very enjoyable tasting wine. The wine knowledge here is excellent and diverse.<br/><br/>Others here have complained about a wait, but the turnaround time for me from order to the meal arriving was very impressive.<br/><br/>I look forward to going again. I left feeling a little lighter, and not in a monetary sense.

Amazing service with amazing meals <br/>Can't wait to go back

True European. Thank you.. What a wonderful restaurant, in the european style. We had a party for 50 people and the food was beautiful - totally fresh, innovative but not complex. The family staff are absolutely delightful; friendly and well organised. The wine list offers a very good variety..... and a stylish room, without pretense. Overall a successful night, and 50 very happy people. Some of the brand restaurants could learn something from this more traditional but gracious style.

Just had dinner at this great Italian restaurant with my family and we all enjoyed it! Had the 400gm porterhouse and it was delicious!<br/>Quality food, excellent service, comfortable environment. We will be back

Overpriced and Overrated. What's happened to this place?<br/>Had a booking for about 25 and we were virtually the only ones there on a weeknight. Service was slow, wait staff were rude and arrogant and the food was ordinary to say the least! Two of our group actually cancelled their order for mains because it took so long to arrive. NO apology, no discount - huge bill.<br/>There are 25 people who will never go there again. The management clearly does not understand the meaning of PR. Every restaurant can have a bad night but this was inexcusable.

An altogether excellent experience. As a visitor from England I took my wife, son and daughter-in law to this restaurant on the evening of 16th Oct. My son a Melbourne resident had booked for me as he had been to Masani's before so I had an open mind as to what it would be like. From the moment we met at the bar we were made most welcome and the mood was relaxed, pleasant and unhurried. The dining room is spacious with plenty of room between tables so one can chat without being too overheard which is nice for fine dining. No piped music either, so all very civilized and conducive to fine dining. Our table was spacious and well set and our meals, all different were expertly cooked and presented and excellent in every way. Our waitress was very friendly, discretely attentive, and most knowlegable about the dishes and the wait between course serving was timed to perfection. In a word she was professional at her job. The wine list was extensive and our various selections all served at their correct temperatures. <br/>All in all we were there for 3 hours, had a most pleasant meal and found nothing whatsoever to criticise or complain about, on the contrary the whole experience was excellent. Not cheap but then one doesn't expect that in a good city restaurant. and I would certainly have no hesitation in recommending Masani's which at the date of writing this review would take some beating.

The best Italian in Melbourne - easily. Authentic across food and decor - phenomenal flavours that are both traditional yet have a unique twist -impressive attention to detail and formal service without being stuffy. Yet to be impressed by any other italian restaurant in melbourne.....or even Australia.

World Class. I have been to many restaurants over the years but Masani's is the only one I have ever rated as "world class", truly. I found the service, the produce, the staff and the atmosphere exceptional and most importantly the food was exquisite. Richard gets his unique culinary ideas from all over the world and it shows. One of the cheese's on the menu is imported from a dairy farm in Dorchester, England of all places. I had the Duck Ravioli dressed with the Madeira reduction, I cannot describe how nice this was but as I am from interstate I am in the process of "trying" to recreate the dish for home. I will not get close but it is worth the try. My partner has the Rabbit Tortellini and has not stopped talking about it as well. We are now planning to go back to Masani's in February which is a 1600km round trip and we cannot wait. Thank you again Richard and all the team. Gavin

Simple, colourful and professional. Congratulations to Masanis - Whilst the majority of Carlton's Italian restaurants offer Sofia quality food, unjustified prices and photos of ferraris, Masanis has stuck to a winning italian formula - simple, uncomplicated, colourful and delicious food and a prefessionally assembled wine list. One could not ask for more when dining Italian.

Good food, good wine, good company - the complete dining experience. Upon reading some of the reviews on this page I question whether reviewers are talking about the same restaurant i have visted on a number of occasions - both for meals and private functions.<br/>In my experience the young staff offered a vibrance to the place and obviously care deeply about this family run establishment. The Sommelier is very knowledgable and has developed an extensive wine list - one of the best i have seen. The food is delicious and each time I have visited have left with a very full stomach.<br/>A visit to this restaurant encapsulates the experience that I expect when dining out.<br/>For those who just want a quick, cheap bite this might not be the place for you (maybe try a fast-food restaurant!) but for those who want a relaxed dining experience with time to savour the taste of your delicious meal and good glass of wine (or three) then this is definately the place!

Good Experience for an Anniversary. My better half and I recently went to Masani's for an Anniversary Dinner. The attention we were given by the staff, complimented the lovely food and made for a great dining experience. The building is well appointed, and for me, its great to be away from the 'love you and leave you' feel that Lygon St has developed. The staff geniunely cared about a good feeling. We both enjoyed the meal, and atmosphere, and will definitely be back.

I'll stick to the facts - one course, four people, two hours. The maitre d was a lovely young lady but no amount of charm could overshadow the slow service. The dining room was at about 40% capacity and the food itself was 'not bad' - definitely not worth the wait by any stretch. Overall, we weren't angry and we didnt find the staff unfriendly or the food inedible. But we walked away disappointed that we had wasted an opportunity for a nice meal and night out at Mastani.

Never to return..... What a great location and venue - yet this we regretted our decision to dine here<br/><br/>We were supposed to go to DOC but it was fully booked and popped into this place. The food was bland and the steak was full of paprika (very overpowering taste) and overall its dishes was neither honest Italian style nor innovative. It was such a place trapped in the 1980s and never heard of any other trend nor level of service.<br/><br/>Lets start talking about the service...<br/><br/>There were only 2 other tables on that night (i wonder why?) and the waitress was so busy (?) and her attitude.. OMG, it was so bad and we left so early ... <br/>It costed well over $130 for a weeknight with no value nor experience to remember... <br/><br/>You have been warned...

Always a winner. The food at Masani is incredible. I've been going back there for over ten years now and the standard of the food continues to impress me. The chef doesn't compromise on quality ingredients (locally and from Italy) and even the pasta is made by hand (if you're a vegetarian, the pasta with sage butter and crushed amaretti biscuits is to die for). <br/>My all time favourite are the oysters, and the chocolate souffle for dessert is heavenly (with chocolate sauce and home-made vanilla ice-cream). I was really impressed with the wine list (better than most places I've seen, and affordable) and the manager/sommelier had an extensive knowledge of the wines - she even matched the wines to our meal, which completed the whole experience. <br/>The restaurant was cosy and ambient with the woodfire burning and the staff were friendly and attentive - they even brought us a complimentary tasting plate of interesting little bits and pieces that the chef was trying out...so yummy!<br/>Masani is probably one of the best restaurants in Melbourne and I'll continue to choose it for all my special nights out - I had my 30th there four years ago...they catered perfectly for my 60 guests in the private room upstairs.

Bellissimo!. I celebrated my 30th birthday here a few weeks back. The old world charm of the building and the open fires are quite the draw card. The food was amazing!! Oysters, Arancini Balls, Creme Brulee... and the lamb chops!!!!<br/><br/>I have also taken some clients here from work and they were suitably impressed. We had a delicious French Shiraz equivalent - although the name of it escapes me. The duck ravioli was to die for! And who makes their own pasta these days? I purchased a voucher for my friends who have recently become engaged. With the fires, a glass of red and a delicious meal it will be perfect!<br/><br/>Summing up in a sentence. Loved the food and the food loved me!

I went to Masani for a function, the building was beautiful and the food was lovely, although the attitude toward a broken glass was very extreme. Fine dining with attitude? We won't be back

Good Food Completely Tarnished by hidden rules/costs, stubborn staff and an Egotistical Chef. The start of this meal was great. Our Mothers Day for 3 mothers and 2 Grandmas. Food was nice but this totally place is let down by the service and attitude and the most ridiculous 'rules'<br/><br/>Though not informed over the phone when booking, we were told when ordering that there was a 2 dish minimum per person because it was mothers day. This is outrageous in itself, but we didn't pay much attention as we were about to order.<br/><br/>We finished our meals (some only had one course) and as we ordered coffees we were told that we were 3 dishes short of the minimum order (depsite drinking plenty of wine and drinks throughout).<br/><br/>We all had mothers day dinner to go to as well and did not feel like any more food which isn't unreasonable given the size of our group and how large our bill was already. The staff argued with us that they had told us about the minimum (though they hadn't) and proceeded to go back and forth with us over $45 worth of desert.<br/><br/>We asked them to bring it up with the chef owner, who was obviously too arrogant to even grace us with his presence but passed on the message that the deserts would be added to our bill whether we had them or not. We did not want the desserts and said so to make a point of how unfair this was and they bough them out anyway. Such a joke.<br/><br/>This completely ruined our exeprience there - we would have tipped the staff more than those deserts were worth but being forced to pay for them left us with a very bad taste in our mouths.<br/><br/>Definitely not going back and would urge you to be careful if dining there especially in large groups as it looks as if they make a habit of over charging, hidden costs and just being stubborn and rude about issues such as this, which is completely pathetic.<br/><br/>Hope the bad word of mouth comes back to bite them, there is no room in Melbourne for that kind of attitude

An excellent restaurant - an impressive Victorian era building with high ceilings and stained glass make the perfect setting to enjoy quality Italian food with smartly dressed and attentive wait staff. We have dined here twice in six weeks and found the food delicious on both occasions. Having just spent three weeks in Paris eating in Michelin rated restaurants, Masani is as good as or better than many.

Disappointing and over-priced night in the private dining room. After two disappointing dining experiences at Masani I will not be returning there or recommending it to friends.<br/><br/>The later experience was for a work event in the private dining room and initially I was impressed with the service and response when organising the details for the night. <br/><br/>However on the night - even thought the quality of food was impressive - I was very disappointed with the service and staff response. They showed lack of flexibility (when we needed to re-arrange the seating so that guests could see a speaker) and voiced their annoyance that after setting up the place-settings we were 'rude' to change the arrangement. They did not bring the wine out until prompted and did not keep to the requested timing of meals to fit in with the presentations - even though they had agreed with the timings previously.<br/><br/>At the end of the night, Masani decided to add on extra costs for the dinner (such as room hire and unreasonably high costs ($13/glass)for sparkling water that was not ordered but simply poured for each guest whether requested or not). When I questioned these costs they pointed out to small print that said they reserve the right to add on additional costs even though these were not listed in the contract and never verbally mentioned. The initial person I had liaised with would not answer any questions about the bill and was rude and defiant. She later went upstairs and did not come down to discuss the pricing issues although she was the main contact for all discussions prior to the event.The event went over our planned budget and cost Masani the chance to have two more corporate events there. <br/><br/>While the unexpected high costs were alarming (>$1100 over the agreed price), it was more the behaviour and unsatisfactory response from staff that made the night a huge disappoinment. Even though the guests were happy with the quality of the food, I personally would not recommend booking this restaurant for a private or corporate event.

Disappointing. While the restaurant itself is presented beautifully, unfortunately the service lets it down. Initially the staff seemed to struggle when we asked questions about the wine and the specials and were told that 'someone else' would be able to answer the questions, however the 'someone else' was really always someone else and never the person who was serving us. We waited over 1 hour for our meals on a Wednesday night when the restaurant was not full. When we queried the wait, we received vague and almost disinterested replies from the wait staff. After a more direct complaint was made we had a visit from a lady who was presumably the Manager who proceeded to argue with us about our wait time, not only refusing to acknowledge how long we had waited, but disputing it while using an aggressive and patronising tone. The food is probably on par with many of the better Italian restaurants in the area however certainly not of a standard high enough to warrant the wait time, the attitude or the behaviour of the staff and Manager. In fact having dined at many restaurants of a higher profile, there is no excuse for her behaviour whatsoever. The Manager suggested to us that the reason for the wait was due to the high quality of the food and the "home made" pasta. When she claimed to us that there was "nowhere on Lygon Street where you can get homemade pasta" we were ready to walk out, however after 1 hour and 15 minutes we were hungry and luckily the food arrived. We were not offered any form of compensation or recompense. We would never return and never recommend the restaurant - especially when there are many other restaurants with better quality food and service in the area.

Carlton's Best. It doesn't come any better than this! Been there 4 times, and 4 times I've been floored - this restaurant should be the benchmark for all others in Melbourne. Tucked away behind Lygon's popular strip, Masani is a venue that puts all other Italian (and mixed fare) restaurants to shame.<br/><br/>Positioned smack-bang between spam-covered pizza restaurants and over-priced we-won't-explain-the-dish-cos-your-nonna-isn't-Calabrian affectations - Masani rescues us with fine dining, intimate explanations, a wine list that is both extensive and globe-covering, and staff that remember faces - I celebrated a birthday there, and 3 months later a relative went back and was recognised instantly.<br/><br/>Nestled on a quiet corner, and in an old gentleman's club, Masani is the type of restaurant you'd picture an assisted wedding proposal, where the staff would gleefully deposit the ring in a glass of obscure regional Italian sparkling, and by the end of the night you'd probably end up inviting them all to the wedding. This is one family-run restaurant that demonstrates epicurean craftsmanship!

Como Nonna!. Nonna's spirit is working in this food. It takes me back to my childhood. The food is what it should be like, made with love and passion using the freshest and best ingredients possible. Oysters gratinate to die for as well as the "kid". Capretto di casa in real terms.